Maggie lifted a finger. ‘Ah, but there is! Ray’s in charge of morale, so if I decide to throw the towel in, he’ll have blotted his copy book. He’s helping me to see my sister, so I’ll stay at Snowden Hall.’ She took a breath and glanced at her pint of shandy. She’d drunk almost half of it, it was making her chatty.

Charity was looking thoughtful. ‘It’s up to you, of course, but why not give the tandem a go? He’ll do most of the work, won’t he? You’ll practically be a passenger.’

Maggie shook her head. She simply couldn’t.

‘How much do you want to see your sister?’ Charity asked.

‘Oh, more than anything! I’m so worried about her!’

‘Then, there’s your answer.’ Charity nodded. ‘Besides, it might be fun! “Be good, be kind, have fun!” That’s my motto.’

Maggie wished she could be more like Charity; game for any challenge.

‘It’ll take ages to learn, even if I do manage it. You know, I’m not entirely sure I can bear to spend that much time with Ray Maguire!’

Charity waved her hand dismissively. ‘You don’t have to talk to him while you’re riding the tandem. You’ll be behind. Say, you won’t even have to look at him!’

She couldn’t do it. Maggie changed the subject. ‘Remember the airman we saw on the first night?’

Charity nodded. Of all of them, she’d been the least excited by Jack Rosman’s presence. But perhaps she knew lots of chaps in the forces and he was nothing out of the ordinary to her.

‘I went for a walk with him on Saturday,’ Maggie said, as matter-of-factly as she could.

‘Did you?’ Charity almost choked on her pint. ‘Oh, you kept that quiet. What’s he like?’

Maggie didn’t want to gush. Charity would probably laugh at her or warn her off him, so she tried to sound casual. ‘He’s at a loose end, I think. I expect he just wanted some company and I was the only person around.’

Charity offered a packet of Players to Maggie, who shook her head. ‘Yes, but what’s he like?’ she repeated. She struck a match and lit a cigarette.

Maggie shrugged. ‘He walks fast. It’s like he’s marching everywhere.’

Charity laughed. ‘That’s it? He walks fast? Ten out of ten for observation! But he’s probably not only a fast walker. Airmen, eh? Best avoided!’

Maggie frowned. Was that right? Was Jack Rosman ‘best avoided’?

She opened her mouth to say something and closed it again with a thud of disappointment. She didn’t want to sound like a giddy schoolgirl and if Charity disapproved of airmen, then Maggie wouldn’t say any more about him. Not, at least, until there was something more to tell.